2010 Recent Sightings
Note that recent sightings submitted here may be added to the Bishop's Stortford Bird Group database and may be used to prepare the Group's on-line annual reports (available here). By posting your sightings on the yahoo group email, and here, you are agreeing to contribute to the Group's on-line annual reports and also to help improve the club records submitted to the two (Essex and Hertfordshire) County bird recorders. Tetrad finder Here ''' Please use the following tetrad indicators: '''41N - Allen's Green, 41T - Trims Green,' 41U '- Thorley, Southern Country Park and Lake, 41W - SLRS, 41X - Sawbridgeworth Marsh, 41Y - Tednambury, Spellbrook and Wallbury, 41Z - Thorley Wash, Rushy Mead EWT, Twyford Lock, Southmill Lock, BS Boy's High School 42Q - Stortford Park farm, 42V - Bishop's Stortford, Town Meads, BS College, 42W - Grange Paddocks 51J - Hatfield Forest SW, Emblems, Collins Coppice and Wall Wood, 51P - Hatfield Forest SE, Hatfield Forest lake and Bush End 52A - Start Hill and Motorway Services, 52P - Hatfield Forest NW, Beggar's Hall, 52K - Stansted Airport Lagoons, Hatfield Park, Hatfield Forest NW, Takeley Street ooa - not in TL41, TL42, TL51,TL52 but welcome nonetheless 14th November : Southern Country Park (11:00-12:00) - 41U - 1 Kestrel, 1 GS Woodpecker, 40 Redwing (18, 7, 8, 7), 10+ Blackbird, 4 Chaffinch, 16 Goldfinch, 8 Siskin (feeding on the Alders near the leylandi, between the carpark and the playground) - Mike & Anita Harris : Birchanger Wood - 52B - Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Jay, Magpie, Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird - Mick East 13th November : Sawbridgeworth Marsh Roost (15:30-16:45) - 41X - 4 Canada Goose (N), 5 Mallard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk (into Spill Timbers Wood), 8 Pheasant (in), 1 Water Rail, 38 Golden Plover (E in V formation), 2 Common Snipe, 37 BH Gull (S), 1 Common Gull (S), 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 GS Woodpecker, 1 Stock Dove, 125 Wood Pigeon (into Fox Earth Wood), 9 Meadow Pipit (in), 41 Redwing (in), 5 Blackbird (in), 3 Magpie (in), 17 Jackdaw (13S, 4NW), 1 Rook (blogging), 3 Starling (NE), 2 Chaffinch, 9 Greenfinch (in), 10 Reed Bunting (in - very poor total?) - Mike Harris 12th November : Henley Herne Spring Footpath - 41U - Brambling with chaffinch in bushes between Trims green and Thorley Church TL475182 : Thorley Church - 41U - 19 Lapwing 200m SW of Thorley Church TL478185 - Graeme J. Smith 10th November : Bozen Green - 42D - Yellowhammer 250+ on field - Mick East : Trims Green 15:45 - 41T - Golden Plover 42 - Graeme J. Smith 8th November : Patmore Heath - 42M - Sparrowhawk female, into kitchen window, again. Great Tits reduced by 1 - Mick East 7th November : Tednambury Roost (15:50-17:10) -41Y - 3 Little Grebe, 2 Grey Heron, 19 Canada Goose (N), 16 Mallard, 3 Water Rail, 3 Pheasant (in), 2 Common Snipe (in), 26 BH Gull (SSW), 2 Stock Dove (S), 27 Meadow Pipit (in), 7 Redwing (in), 2 Fieldfare (in), 3 Blackbird (in), 297 Starling (105N, 192 in), 2 Jay, 32 Magpie (in), 1 Goldfinch (S), 1 Chaffinch (in), 3 Reed Bunting (in), 21 Yellowhammer (in) - Mike Harris 3rd November : High Wych Baker's Farm - 41S - Black Redstart Femal/imm type on buildings at Bakers farm this morning - Laurence Drummonnd : Farham -Upwick Road - 42S - Redwing 150+ : Upwick Wood 41M Common Buzzard - Mick East 31st October : Amwell - ooa - Pair of Bearded Tits from the James Hide at around 08.30. Also Water Rail - Ian Rose. 28th October : Residents adjacent to Birchanger Wood - 52B - report Lesser Spotted Woodpecker regular on garden feeders - per David Arch : Spellbrook Lock - 41Y - 1 Grey Wagtail S : Wallbury - 41Z - 1 Marsh Tit, Nuthatch : Thorley Wash - 41Z - LITTLE EGRET flushed North, male Sparrowhawk W, 6 BRAMBLING W, 4 Redwing, 8 Bullfinch : Nr Thorley Church (mostly 50-100 yards to the south watching the field to the West) - 41U - A long effort started with another BRAMBLING with Chaffinch and House Sparrows at the seed store, 80+ Skylark in well scattered groups also c.20 Chaffinch, 8 House Sparrow, 17 Linnet, 9 Yellowhammer, 18 Meadow Pipit, 2 Common Gull, 50+ Black-headed Gulls, 9 Stockdove, 4 Pied Wag and unusually for here, 1 Grey Wagtail over South. : Southern Country Park - 41U - 1 Kestrel E, 1 Fieldfare and 29 Redwing amongst the berries and 7 Bullfinch : Stort Park Farm - 42Q - 6 Bullfinch and 6 Redwing on East side MARSH TIT on the Northern edge West side held a very poor 19 Skylark and 4 Yellowhammer. Another strangly placed Grey Wagtail IN the underpass running under the bypass just North of the Stort Park entrance roundabout. - Graeme J. Smith 24th October : Southern Country Park - 41U - Waxwing 4 at 12:00 (reported), No Waxwings found later, Common Buzzard overhead (with another sitting in a field at Castle Farm), c.100 Golden Plover in flight at Allens Green - Mike Harris 23rd October : Thorley Wash - 41Z - Barn Owl , One with prey on post at St James way roundabout 11pm - Laurence Drummonnd 21st October : A10 Reed - ooa - Red Kite. : Reed End, The Rookery ooa - Common Buzzard X 3 : Deadman's Hill - 23Y ooa - Red Kite 4, Common Buzzard 2, Hen Harrier Juv, Kestrel, Starling 300c, Lapwing 50, Red Legged Partridge 27, : Braughing north Ford - ooa - Grey Wagtail - Mick East : : 50 yards east of Green Tye (nr Trims Green) - 41P - 1 PEREGRINE first picked up sitting on pylons at 1600 Hrs today, it soon flew off and following it we found it with a kill. Bird seemed a small (and very bloody) male. - Graeme J. Smith 20th October : Harlow Town Centre Terminus House Building -''' 40P - almost 41K? - Peregrine Falcon. Perched on ledge on top of building on south facing side - Craig Messenger : Spellbrook - 41Y - Minimums of 384 Redwing W and 312 Fieldfare W today past work is my most significant counts of the season. - Graeme J. Smith '''18th October : Hayter, Spellbrook West 10:00 – 41Y - 1 Mistle Thrush SW, 23 FIELDFARE (12 SW, 11 W), 1 Meadow Pipit S, 31 REDWING (18 SW, 13 W), 2 Common Buzzard (one S while other presumed one of the local birds), 3 Jay (one high over S while 2 collecting under their favoured Oak, 14 Skylark S, 2 Greenfinch W, 17 Stockdove SW, 2 Blackbird SW, 1 Treecreeper, 9 Goldcrest, 52+ Starlings (15 W, 7 S, 40+W), 59+ Chaffinch (40+ on NW Field, an 19 more in ones and twos between South and West), 1 BRAMBLING S and GOLDEN PLOVER 19 over S. : Thorley Wash to Church – 41U - 45+ Skylark, c.90 Black-headed Gull, 3 COMMON GULL, 2 Common Buzzard, 60+ Linnet, 6 Meadow Pipit. 120 Starling seemed omnipresent tho they were eclipsed by a further 280-340 over SW in 90 mins in small groups no bigger than 40, 2 Pied Wagtail S, 1 GREY WAGTAIL S, 43 REDWING (7 S, 35 W 21, 1 SW), - Graeme J. Smith 17th October : Coploe Hill (07:45-09:45) - 44W ooa - All passage in the S-SW sector, 4 Cormorant, 1 Common Buzzard (local bird, D/PH with Bonxie like flashes on the upper wing), 1 AdM Peregrine, 6 Grey Partridge (local birds), 18 Golden Plover, 21 BH Gull (many more feeding locally), 5 Common Gull, 5 Herring Gull, 8 LBB Gull (many more feeding locally), 1 2ndW GBB Gull, 1 Stock Dove, 109 Wood Pigeon (many more feeding locally), 18 Skylark, 13 Meadow Pipit, 4 Pied Wagtail, 1 Dunnock, 9 Song Thrush, 57 Redwing, 8 Fieldfare, 1 Blackbird, 20 Jackdaw, 104 Starling, 128 Chaffinch, 6 Linnet, 14 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 1 Siskin, 6 Reed Bunting - Mike Harris : Stansted Airport Lagoons - 52K - 7 Little Grebe, 27 Mallard, 1 Teal, 9 Moorhen, Coot, 3 Pied Wagtail, Green Woodpecker, 2 Reed Bunting - David Arch 13th October : Acremore Street (road from Bury Green to Little Hadham war memorial) - 42K - Male Merlin - Jono Forgham 12th October : Ash Valley GC - 42F -1 female ring ouzel 7.45 am between the 6th and 15th fairway - Jono Forgham : Hayter, Spellbrook (west) - 41Y - 1000 Hrs. 7+ Goldfinch W, 2 Skylark W, 7 Chaffinch S, 6 Greenfinch S, 2 BRAMBLING S, 1 REDWING SW and another probable sighting of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker though far too distant to be sure. At lunch 20+ Skylark S, 1 Kestrel S, 1 Common Buzzard, c.15 Chaffinch between SW and W - Graeme J.Smith 11th October : SAL - 52K - 2 Grey Heron (in from E), 45 Teal, 3 Tufted Duck, 1 juv CURLEW SANDPIPER, 1 BH Gull, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Pied Wagtail, 3 Grey Wagtail - Mike Harris 10th October : Bell Street, Sawbridgeworth – 41X - 09:45 – Heard Redwing pass over in the gloom. :Trims Green (10:00-11:00) – 41T - 2 Cormorant (E), 35 Golden Plover, 22 Lapwing (in), 70 BH Gull, 1 GS Woodpecker (N), 19 Skylark, 6 Swallow, 9 Meadow Pipit, 3 Alba Wagtail, 13 Song Thrush, 182 Redwing, 3 Blue Tit, 1 Jay (W), 70 Starling, 8 House Sparrow, 36 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 27 Linnet, 23 Goldfinch, 1 Greenfinch, 2 Reed Bunting, 6 Yellowhammer : : Sawbridgeworth Marsh Roost (16:30-19:00) - 41X - 1 Grey Heron (S), 10 Mallard (N), 1 Kestrel 2 Sparrowhawk (AdF hunting, juv M into Spill Timbers Wood), 5 Pheasant (in, 2M,3F), 87 BH Gull (E), 8 Golden Plover (W), 1 Little Owl, 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 GS Woodpecker, 16 Stock Dove, 2 Song Thrush (calls heard after dark, birds looking to roost), 327 Redwing (groups moving generally south, but looking to roost), 7 Long tailed Tit (min), 39 Jackdaw (S), 3 Magpie (min), 1 Jay (in), 12 Starling (NE), 1 Linnet (E), 8 Goldfinch (N), 1 Greenfinch (SE), 11 Chaffinch (N to roost locally), 17 Reed Bunting (in - not good, should be many more by now) - Mike Harris : Stortford Park - 42Q - 9 Buzzard (4 over South with 5 more over local wood later), Little Owl and over 20 Redwing in the taller tree on the East side (mainly East-edge Pond) flock of c.50 Skylark was best of the passerines on show from the hill with a few Linnet, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit and unusually no shortage of Chaffinch with over a dozen noted - Graeme J. Smith 9th October : SAL (15:45-16:35) - 52K - 7 Little Grebe, 27 Mallard, 3 Tufted Duck, 1 Kestrel, 12 Coot, 30 BH Gull, 1 Ad Common Gull, 1 LBB Gull (S), 1 G S Woodpecker, 1 Meadow Pipit (S), 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Jay, 3 Greenfinch, 1 Reed Bunting : 7 Migrant Hawker (all males), 1M Southern Hawker : Also 2 Common Buzzard over Birchanger Wood on our way. - Mike and Anita Harris : Birchanger Wood – 52B - Great Tits, Blue tits, Jays x2, Robins, Crows, Wrens, Magpies, 1 Song Thrush, 3 Linnets, 1 Yellowhammer and a single Chaffinch in the field leading to Birchanger village. Also a Sparrowhawk had a dogfight with a Rook nearby! - Mike Franklin 8th October : Level's Green - 42S - Collared Dove 25+ - Mick East 7th October : BS town centre - 42V - Riverside Kingfisher X 2 flying up river, Chiffchaff : Farnham Road - 42R - Yellowhammer 30c, Skylark 15c, Meadow Pipit 7, Linnet, - Mick East : : Spellbrook (west) - 41Y - 3 Common Buzzard straight over SW, 3 Cormorant N, 10 Stockdove South, 3 Skylark SW and a Meadow Pipit hanging around the Northern perimeter. LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER calling from the tall trees lining the brook on the North edge of Hayter's main carpark.- Graeme J Smith 6th October : Nino Wood - 42M - Common Buzzard : Patmore Heath - 42M - Common Buzzard X 2 - Mick East 5th October : Start Hill - 52F - Single Swallow over Start Hill Petrol Station - Ellen Franklin : SAL (14:00-14:45) - 52K - 7 Little Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 79 Mallard, 26 Teal, 3 Gadwall, 1M PINTAIL (eclipse), 6 Tufted Duck, 1F Sparrowhawk (S), , 2 Coot (low numbers), 80 BH Gull (minimum, a mobile 'washing' population, probably involving in excess of c.150 individuals), 2 Common Gull (Ads), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Jay, 1 Linnet, 1 Reed Bunting, : 1M Migrant Hawker : Little Canfield Church - 52V - 1 Kestrel, 1 Green Woodpecker, 20 Skylark, 3 Swallow (S), 75+ Meadow Pipit, 5 'Alba' Wagtail, Goldfinch, Linnet and Chaffinch all heard overhead - Mike Harris : Mathams Wood - 41U - Crow roost in Mathams Wood seems to have increased with 600 (rook/JDaw) leaving before dawn. : Hayter, Spellbrook (west) - 41Y - 5 REDPOLL South over North Lawn this morning was followed up by a single in the alders which was presumably part of the same flock. probable LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER flew along the E-W treeline parallel with the road and pulled up in the 'Starling tree' : SAL - 52K - Eclipse Drake Pintail, lots of Blackbirds about, 41 Greylag over NE and 2 Chiffchaff could have been 5 but 3 remained willowchiffs despite hearing well tho the Common Gulls had moved on. Black-headed Gull counts ranged from 30-55 : Hatfield Forest Main Entrance - 52K - 3 Little Owl all South of entrance and so close together that they are possibly all the same family, also 1 Grey Wagtail and 18 Meadow Pipit over South at Dusk, - Graeme J. Smith 3rd October : Little Hadham - 42G - House Martin 4 over near lights. Buzzard further north - Keith Watts 2nd October : Little Canfield Church (Two recent visits to the fields that have had the 'Beetle Bank' established across them) - 52V - 6 Common Buzzard (all together with much calling and interaction between the smaller males), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel (sitting on the signpost explaining the Beetle Bank!), 20+ Skylark, 20 Swallow (S), 10 House Martin (S), 1 Sand Martin (S), 70 Meadow Pipit, 20 Jay, 25 Linnet, 2 Goldfinch, 10 Yellowhammer, 1 Reed Bunting : 2 Red Admiral, 2 Small Heat 3 Common Darter (MFF) - Mike Harris